Design Thinking Challenge: The Gift Giving Experience (Adapted from Stanford d.school Crash Course for Springboard UX Design Workshop)

Step 1: Interview a friend

Notes:

- When was the last time you gave a gift? 1 month ago

- To who? Vanessa (female interest)

- What did you get her? Purple roses

- How did it go? She loved it

- Favorite part? Look on her face

- Least favorite part? Roses aren’t cheap. Cost associated with the gift and also figuring out what flowers to get her

Step 2: Dig deeper

Notes:

- Why did you get roses? House warming gift

- Why roses? Purple roses, because that was her favorite flower and color

- How did you know it was her favorite? She mentioned it in a previous conversation

- Hardest part? Hardest part was finding a place that had purple roses

- Where did you look? I looked online and found them at a flower shop on Academy

- How would the experience be made better? It was pretty good but I wouldn’t of been able to know what flowers she liked if she hadn’t mentioned it in a previous conversation

Step 3: Define a problem statement

Brady needs a way to find and buy flowers because he enjoys putting a

smile on his girlfriend’s face :)

Step 4: Sketch the “solution”

Solution:

Brady can search for flowers based on color and/or type or search for a random arrangement.

Images of flowers are presented based on search criteria.

Brady can learn more about the flower (who would like this type of flower, how to take care of it, etc.

Brady can send pictures of the flowers to his girlfriend or choose to buy them.

Step 5: Share “solution” & capture feedback

Notes:

- Thought the “solution” was practical.

- Mentioned that he was frustrated when other websites/services would show him flowers that were unavailable. This was a waste of time for him.

- Also mentioned that he spent time asking different girls what type of flowers they like and why.

Step 6: Reflect and generate a new “solution” through iteration

New Solution:

Girls upload pics of flowers they’ve received or want to receive and describe how they make them feel.

Only flowers that are available to purchase near Brady’s location are shown.

Brady can read about why girls like that specific flower and message them if he has any other questions.

Brady can see the price of the flower and choose to purchase it. He can also see if it can be delivered.

Step 7: Reflect Notes:

- Brady enjoyed this “solution” because it would allow him to see why different girls like specific flowers and message them for more details.

- Thought it was convenient to only show flowers that are available near his location. This would save him time.

- Thought it was a quick and convenient way of going about buying flowers.

Step 8: Reflect & answer the following questions How did engaging with a real person and testing with a real person, change the direction your prototype took?

I learned valuable insights that I wouldn’t of gained without showing the “solution” and asking Brady for feedback. Specifically, Brady found it frustrating to be shown flowers that were unavailable. With this insight, the second prototype I created only showed flowers that were available near his location.

Step 8: Reflect & answer the following questions What was it like showing unfinished work to another person?

It was a bit intimidating because I thought that Brady wouldn’t understand or see the value in the design. I was delightedly surprised when he said he understood the “solution” I sketched and actually found it practical and useful.

Step 8: Reflect & answer the following questions How did the pace feel? Regarding the quick iterative cycles – how did that feel to how you normally work?

It was fun and exciting to quickly come up with a solution to Brady’s problem. It was quite different than how I normally work. Usually I take a while to think about a problem and plan it out. The time constraint for this exercise really forced me to come up with a creative solution.

Step 9: Go get them Brady! :)

Side Note: Brady is currently single and his phone number is 204-302-0192